ELECTRICIAN BY PASSION: INTERVIEW WITH FRIEDRICH H.

Everyone's daily life is filled with professionals in every field. Sometimes we're satisfied with their work, sometimes we're not. What makes the difference is the passion, commitment, and professionalism they put into what they do. And when you meet someone passionate about their work, you sense this vocation almost instinctively, and you see their eyes light up when they talk about it.

One of these people is Friedrich, a professional electrical system installer, an electrician by profession but, above all, by passion.

LUPOS

Good morning, Friedrich, we're very curious to know your story! Who were you before becoming an electrician?

Friedrich

Good morning. I came from a normal family, not exactly wealthy, and when I was a boy, so as not to be too much of a burden on the family, I started working at a young age with small jobs to earn some money. I did more or less everything: waiter, baker, mechanic, and basically anything that came my way.

LUPOS

How did you become an electrician? Was it chance, one of the many jobs you tried, or was there something in particular that sparked this passion?

Friedrich

Truth be told, my father was an electrician, and watching him build electrical systems made me passionate about the world and began attending professional training courses as an electrician. Little by little, I abandoned my other jobs and began to dedicate myself to this field. The experiences I gained opened up a whole new world to me and made me realize that this was the job for me.

Once, when I already had some experience, we had to build an electrical system for a chemical company, and the conduits had to be made of iron, not plastic; another time, we built electrical systems inside iron structures. It wasn't just about meeting people's needs in their homes; this was a whole other level, requiring not only electrical skills but also metalwork skills: everything had to be perfect, because a small mistake could have serious consequences...

It's this need for "perfection" that captivated me. The idea that the smooth functioning of everything in such a delicate field depended on the precision of my—or rather, of the group of colleagues, and therefore of our—work captivated me. And here I am...

LUPOS

Wow, Friedrich, what an interesting experience! It was a rather delicate situation, not only from a professional/work perspective but also from a specific work environment; I mean, precisely from the perspective of the place and work situation. I hope your father instilled in you from an early age the necessary need for protection and security, as well as a passion for the profession...

Friedrich

Of course, my father has always been very precise about this, also because he's seen some pretty rough patches... meaning, if you're not careful, with electricity, stairs, transfers, the work environment itself, as you mentioned, it's easy to get hurt. Sometimes, he or one of his colleagues had accidents at work, fortunately not serious! But without protection... it could have ended badly! Therefore, I know I have to be careful and equip myself properly, and when I decided to start my own business and started having employees, I became very scrupulous with them too. I mean, I have a responsibility to my coworkers, and to work peacefully, we need to be sure we can move around without worries. For us, for example, insulation is extremely important, and safety shoes are essential.

LUPOS

That's great to hear! As a manufacturer of work footwear, safety comes first! So, what do you look for when buying your safety shoes?

Friedrich

The first thing I check is the sole. In our industry, obviously, the shoe must be electrostatic and anti-puncture, known as ESD protection. This is extremely important. The shoe must not be dielectric alone, because this type of protection is not sufficient (editor's note: Dielectric shoes are insulating but, unlike ESD shoes, they do not discharge accumulated charges from the body). We work in both wet and dry environments, in a wide variety of situations, and electricity and water don't mix very well... ESD shoes ensure the dissipation of electrostatic charges through the ground, so as not to compromise the functioning of electronic components, for example, in environments with electronically controlled machinery, microchip or transistor assembly, clean rooms, chemical industries, etc.

But, obviously, this isn't the only factor that influences the choice, even if it is the main one. Another very important aspect is lightness: I look for comfortable and lightweight work shoes because I wear them all day and if safety footwear isn't comfortable, soft, lightweight, and flexible, at the end of the day, my feet will be completely swollen and cooked!

LUPOS

Then our work shoes are perfect: all models are SRC ESD compliant and we use ultralight aluminum toecaps with the innovative CapLight system that weighs 50% less than traditional models. Furthermore, we use the latest technological advances for both the upper and the ultra-breathable inner lining. And finally, thanks to the innovative Infinergy® system, many of our models are able to return over 55% of the energy with every step! What do you think?

Friedrich

Well, I'd say it's fantastic: it's just what I need to work at my best, I'll buy them right away!

LUPOS

Friedrich, I've been told that in addition to producing well-crafted work, you also create spectacular and creative things with electricity. Is that true?

Friedrich

Yes, it's true. Just as it's true that I have many creative clients...

For me, electricity is everything. I love my job: it's watching light come to life!

And now I have a mastery of the craft that allows me to create things that might seem impossible to most. Anything you can think of with electricity, I can make it happen, rest assured!

LUPOS

Friedrich, you're incredible! Thank you for bringing us into your world and sharing your passion with us.

Lupos®, Quality and Safety first.